A look at the timetables and procedures ahead to possibly decide the outcome of the race in Tennessee's 4th congressional district, where incumbent Rep. Scott DesJarlais and challenger state Sen. Jim Tracy finished Thursday's Republican primary in a near tie.

DAYS AHEAD:

Election officials will look for any outstanding "provisional ballots" that were uncounted. This can include ballots cast by voters without proper ID at the polls. They have until the end of business hours Monday to produce acceptable identification to validate the vote.

WEEKS AHEAD:

The next step is to certify the vote count from each of the 16 counties in the 4th District, which covers an area of south-central Tennessee that includes outlying suburbs of Nashville and Chattanooga as well as rural areas along the Alabama line. The final certification is expected on Aug. 25, but the process could be moved up.

After the certification is complete, a five-day window opens for candidates to file a formal challenge with their party. The party then decides whether to move ahead with the challenge.

Tennessee has no automatic provisions for a recount, so the challenge option is the only way to get a recount in motion.

FINAL STEP:

The winner must be declared within 50 days of the party taking up the challenge.